


Departure and Arrival

by lodessa



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cliche, F/M, romance tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lodessa/pseuds/lodessa
Summary: The baggage carousel remains stubbornly still, to the point where Kathryn is sure that her luggage is never going to make it out.  She considers just leaving without it; the adrenaline of anticipation and anxiety making her feel weightless, except for the knot twisting in her stomach.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Departure and Arrival

The baggage carousel remains stubbornly still, to the point where Kathryn is sure that her luggage is never going to make it out. She considers just leaving without it; the adrenaline of anticipation and anxiety making her feel weightless, except for the knot twisting in her stomach.

She looks towards the exit and has to do a double take.

Why is he here? She hadn’t told him she was coming. She hadn’t told anyone. Even if she had... after the way she left she’s not sure how he will react to her return, thus the twisting inside of her.

She can see when he turns his head and catches sight of her across the crowd. He stops still, like a deactivated android, expression unreadable. It feels like an eternity that they stand there with the crowd streaming past them.

_I shouldn’t have come,_ she thinks. _He doesn’t want to see me, not after the way I left._

But then he smiles, that dimpled grin that makes her feel like she’s a half baked chocolate chip cookie, gooey and soft and still warm from the oven. 

She doesn’t make the decision to move toward him or notice him doing, but the distance between them closes somehow.

“Chakotay...” she breathes as she wraps her arms around his neck, feeling his wrap around her waist, warm even though the layers of outerwear. “Why are you at the airport?”

“I was on my way to you,” he tells her, “I’ve regretted not following you since the day you left. What are you doing back?”

“Coming back for you,” she admits, “I shouldn’t have given you an ultimatum like that. It wasn’t fair of me to ask you to drop your whole life just like that because of my job.”

“Maybe,” Chakotay chuckles, “but I don’t care. I just want to be with you, Kathryn. Tell me it isn’t too late.”

“I was coming here to ask you the same thing,” she confesses, “I love you, Chakotay. All these months apart have only made that clearer. I think that’s why I ran away like I did. I was afraid of how strongly I felt about you, but I’m not going to let fear control me any longer.”

“You don’t have to be afraid,” he promises and she realizes she isn’t. 

She loosens her grip around his neck, holding on to one of his broad shoulders with one hand and moving the other to caress the side of his face as their lips meet. She has missed those lips, missed the man they are attached to, missed everything about being with him.

_Forget the baggage_ , she thinks. 

“Take me home,” she whispers, between kisses.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this ["Hallmark Style" manip set](https://the-randomness-and-fandomness.tumblr.com/post/637700209487577088/the-world-needs-some-hallmark-style-jc-for) by the-randomness-and-the-fandomness (sorry, if you have an ao3 account I don't know) on Tumblr.


End file.
